RIVERSIDE - A 23-year-old man who shot a visiting Nigerian in the head in 2005, leaving him on life support, is on his way to prison today for what could be a life term.

David Anthony Rodriguez was sentenced to 107 years to life in prison for the attempted murder of

Edward Nwajagu, who immigrated to the United States in 1980s and was in Southern California for a conference aimed at organizing a medical mission to his former African homeland, the Press-Enterprise reported.

Nwajagu's wife and brother want to visit but have been unable to enter the United States, a cousin Clement Onwuka, said in court Friday.

"His life had been shattered, his ability to make a living, his ability to enjoy life, ended the day he was shot," Onwuka said. "The whole family depended on Edward."

A group from the conference came to Riverside to visit a friend and stopped for gasoline at the Chevron station at University and Victoria avenues. As the car pulled out of the gas station, it was fired upon.

Nwajagu opened the back door to check the damage, was shot in the head and fell out on the pavement, the Press-Enterprise reported. He has been on life support since. The family paid to have him moved from a Riverside hospital to one near his home in Oklahoma City, believing it would be more familiar for him, Onwuka said.

Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco used the crime as a reason for requesting an injunction to crack down on the East Side Rivas in 2007. The mostly Latino gang has a history of attacking black people and referring to it as "snail hunting."

Rodriguez, who has a 4-year-old daughter, was convicted in March of attempted murder and a hate crime, as well as related felonies. The driver, Jose Enrique Martinez, 31, pleaded guilty to being an accessory and was sentenced in April to time served of one year and four months.